Anyone going to WARZAW?

[Swift]

Hey,

Im gonna start studying in Poland, Warzaw....curious about any information from current students..opinions etc.
From what I understand its ranked as the top med. univs in poland (http://www.umed.lodz.pl/root.php?go=akt&mn=akt_tresc&txt=416)

Please...if ur not a student but have some info feel free to msg...rumours are good too

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[Miklos]

Hey,

Im gonna start studying in Poland, Warzaw....curious about any information from current students..opinions etc.
From what I understand its ranked as the top med. univs in poland (http://www.umed.lodz.pl/root.php?go=akt&mn=akt_tresc&txt=416)

Please...if ur not a student but have some info feel free to msg...rumours are good too

Where do you wish to practice once you are done?

If it is the U.S., there are a couple things you ought to be aware of.

Warsaw's English progam is currently not recognized by the Medical Board of California.

Unless you are studying in Polish (the native language program is recognized, but you'll note that the phrase "including English Program" is missing from the Medical Board listing), you will not be able to do clinical rotations/residency or be licensed in California.

Currently, If you complete more than 12 weeks of clinical rotations away outside of Poland, you will not be able to complete a residency in the state of New York.

For licensure in Texas, someone with a degree from Warsaw will need to prove substantial equivalence. This does not preclude licensure, but it does put up a barrier.

I highly recommend that before you commit to attending the school, that you check it out in person. No one on a internet forum can give you the information that you need in order to make a decision that is right for you. With this in mind, you might also want to check out the the European forum at www.valuemd.com It has far more information on Polish medical schools.

Good luck.

Miklos

NB The rankings are for Polish language programs. They may in fact be meaningless for English language programs, as foreign students tend to have a different set of priorities than natives.

 

[Swift]

Thanks Miklos,
Is there a chance that the school might get approved by the Cali board during the 6 coming years?
I dont have much of a choice, i was also accepted to Prozan, but its has the same problems as MAW...and I didnt like the city..besides these two I was accepted to Gdansk which I heard is notvery good, and also one in Hungary, called Medical University of Debrecen (or med. center of Debrecen)..but that one was not recommended by my handling officer because im planing on getting a loan from the national student aid office and they told me that there might be problems there, but I noticed that debrecen was cali approved (?)

 

[Swift]

Noticed ur location is Hungary..are you studying med? which year?

and do you know if it is to late to apply to Budapest/Semmelweis/Pecs?

thanks alot

 

[Miklos]

Thanks Miklos,
Is there a chance that the school might get approved by the Cali board during the 6 coming years?

Sure, there's a chance. However, only the school and the California med board knows if they've applied or not. If you'd like to know whether they've applied, I recommend that you contact Pat Park, who is the foreign schools liaison at the California Medical Board. Her contact info is listed here.

I dont have much of a choice, i was also accepted to Prozan, but its has the same problems as MAW...and I didnt like the city..besides these two I was accepted to Gdansk which I heard is notvery good, and also one in Hungary, called Medical University of Debrecen (or med. center of Debrecen)..but that one was not recommended by my handling officer because im planing on getting a loan from the national student aid office and they told me that there might be problems there, but I noticed that debrecen was cali approved (?)

Noticed ur location is Hungary..are you studying med? which year?

and do you know if it is to late to apply to Budapest/Semmelweis/Pecs?

thanks alot

I'm graduating this year. I do not recommend Hungary for most students, as the system is not designed for North Americans. All the English programs at Hungarian schools are California approved. See the European schools forum at www.valuemd.com for much more info on both Hungarian and Polish schools.

As far as applying goes, I suspect that you could still gain a place in Pecs, I'm not certain about Semmelweis as it tends to fill up early.

 

[PsychMD]

I'm graduating this year.

WOW! Miklos! You have been such a constant presence in this forum with so much pertinent advice over time, that I had always somehow imagined that you were actually much "older" ("career-wise" I mean...like you had already gone through residency already and maybe moved back for a while to Hungary or something like this.)!

Just out of curiosity, what specialty are you planning to pursue for residency training? And are you still planning to come to the US or does the EU look "better"? Although I kind of doubt it. Re. EU, I mean. At least when it comes to residency training, I have come to sincerely believe over time that the US still has a pretty stream-lined, reasonably transparent, and welcoming process for FMG's. I know people gripe at times about the work-load during residency when it comes to "debating" pros/cons re. US vs. EU, yet, IMHO, the practical quality of training/experience one could potentially gain during training in the US and the real opportunity to enter training in the specialty of one's choice, if one is truly motivated (for most specialties, I think, well...maybe with the exception of the ultra-highly competitive Derm. or Plastics) is still "better" in the US vs. the EU, overall.

I am not so sure anymore re. post-residency career though. I guess it depends on a lot of factors, both professional and personal, of course. I have a colleague who is actually a med. grad. from France and he says that he doesn't want to go back, although he could theoretically practice back there after he's done with fellowship training here. He says that in his case it's mostly a career-decision rather than a personal or lifestyle-factor choice. As I understand it, in a general manner, most people who are EU med school grads. need a minimum of 5 years of post-grad training I think, to be eligible to sit for their country's specialty boards, although I think it's still very much country-specific and specialty-specific.

(P.S. "just in case"...I do not mean to start any "flames" or anything re. EU vs. US medical systems of care. I am mostly interested in residency/fellowship level training opportunities/choices for EU med school grads in general more than anything else.)

 

[Miklos]

WOW! Miklos! You have been such a constant presence in this forum with so much pertinent advice over time, that I had always somehow imagined that you were actually much "older" ("career-wise" I mean...like you had already gone through residency already and maybe moved back for a while to Hungary or something like this.)!

Sorry to disappoint.

Just out of curiosity, what specialty are you planning to pursue for residency training? And are you still planning to come to the US or does the EU look "better"?

I'd like to do a residency in Psychiatry in the U.S. One of my many reasons for coming to the U.S., is that once I'm board-certified, Europe is still a possibility for me. The converse is not true; that is, if I complete post-graduate training in Europe, it is not recognized in the U.S.

Although I kind of doubt it. Re. EU, I mean. At least when it comes to residency training, I have come to sincerely believe over time that the US still has a pretty stream-lined, reasonably transparent, and welcoming process for FMG's.

I believe that in principle that you are correct. However at the same time, I think that IMGs are less welcome these days, as some state medical boards place additional barriers in the way of IMG licensure.

I know people gripe at times about the work-load during residency when it comes to "debating" pros/cons re. US vs. EU, yet, IMHO, the practical quality of training/experience one could potentially gain during training in the US and the real opportunity to enter training in the specialty of one's choice, if one is truly motivated (for most specialties, I think, well...maybe with the exception of the ultra-highly competitive Derm. or Plastics) is still "better" in the US vs. the EU, overall.

For an IMG to both the EU and the U.S., I think that you are right. For "home-grown talent" in individual EU countries that pay 'decent' salaries to their post-graduates, it is another matter.

I am not so sure anymore re. post-residency career though. I guess it depends on a lot of factors, both professional and personal, of course. I have a colleague who is actually a med. grad. from France and he says that he doesn't want to go back, although he could theoretically practice back there after he's done with fellowship training here. He says that in his case it's mostly a career-decision rather than a personal or lifestyle-factor choice. As I understand it, in a general manner, most people who are EU med school grads. need a minimum of 5 years of post-grad training I think, to be eligible to sit for their country's specialty boards, although I think it's still very much country-specific and specialty-specific.

That's what I understand as well. Of course, they work fewer hours on the average during those five years.

(P.S. "just in case"...I do not mean to start any "flames" or anything re. EU vs. US medical systems of care. I am mostly interested in residency/fellowship level training opportunities/choices for EU med school grads in general more than anything else.)

Understood.